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Chrissie
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Nov 24, 2015 10:07AM
Petra, boy do I agree with you! For this very reason I hesitate to pick up the book.
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Petra wrote: "I just finished Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald.I find this generation of artists & writers frustrating and fascinating at the same time. They were so spoiled and self-involved that..."
This book is on my TBR list, and you haven't put me off! I find that era, and the Fitzgeralds in particular, fascinating.
Perhaps our feelings about their hedonistic lifestyles are influenced by our modern-day knowledge about the negative effects of alcohol. Or maybe the Fitzgeralds just had strong addictive personalities (as we would say today).
Speaking of hedonistic lifestyles, I've just finished After Perfect: A Daughter’s Memoir. I have mixed feelings about this one. The author is trying to extricate herself from a life of shallow materialism, yet continues to drop brand names. (I had to google most of them.)
Susan wrote: "Speaking of hedonistic lifestyles, I've just finished After Perfect: A Daughter’s Memoir. I have mixed feelings about this one. The author is trying to extricate herself from a life..."Think I'd be the same Susan. I'm not a brand name person and sometimes look blank when people mention certain brands.
Lots of discussion about Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...I found myself feeling quite sympathetic toward Zelda. Once she had her child, she seemed to draw back from the hedonistic lifestyle and actually wanted to leave Scott. Then, of course, when she became what he found a liablity, he had her committed to a mental institution and her life was basically over. My opinion of Scott changed dramatically after reading the book. But I don't doubt his reactions were partially because of the influence of the friendship with the writer who basically disliked women and often tossed them aside, Ernest Hemingway.
A good companion novel to this one is The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. Set in same time and of course, the Fitzgeralds and the Hemingways met up in Paris.
bette, Frances Farmer was my grandmother's favorite actress. I learned about her quit young. Think Zelda was bipolar though and they didn't have the treatments they do now.
Dale wrote: "Think I'd be the same Susan. I'm not a brand name person and sometimes look blank when people mention certain brands."Well at least now I know what hand-painted MacKenzie-Childs furniture looks like.
At $US2,995 for this "Petite Poppy Table", I don't know that I'd describe it as "shabby-chic"!
Diane S ❄ wrote: "bette, Frances Farmer was my grandmother's favorite actress. I learned about her quit young. Think Zelda was bipolar though and they didn't have the treatments they do now."I saw a remarkable film based on Farmer's life; I've felt admiration and such pity for her, ever since.
Susan wrote: "Dale wrote: "Think I'd be the same Susan. I'm not a brand name person and sometimes look blank when people mention certain brands."Well at least now I know what hand-painted MacKenzie-Childs furn..."
No, I would describe it as "busy".....
Just finished Thirteen Guests: A British Library Crime Classic
. Here is my review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice* wrote: "Susan wrote: "Dale wrote: "Think I'd be the same Susan. I'm not a brand name person and sometimes look blank when people mention certain brands."Well at least now I know what hand-painted MacKenz..."
I could think of another word, other than busy. Awful. Maybe I have no taste. Or maybe price doesn't always mean good.
Dale wrote: "Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice* wrote: "Susan wrote: "Dale wrote: "Think I'd be the same Susan. I'm not a brand name person and sometimes look blank when pe..."You are right on both counts Dale. I was trying to be polite *:D The warm weather you sent has finally arrived - thank you!
Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice* wrote: "Dale wrote: "Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice* wrote: "Susan wrote: "Dale wrote: "Think I'd be the same Susan. I'm not a brand name person and sometimes look ..."Guess I call things as I see them. Glad to hear the warm weather finally got there, Sandy.
B the BookAddict wrote: "Lots of discussion about Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...I found myself feeling quite sympa..."
Bette, I really enjoyed The Paris Wife. That was an interesting book.
Funny, since it tells of the same time and the same people, the two books are quite different.
Of the two women, Zelda had the worst marriage and life. Hadley lived on, enjoyed herself to some point and kept living. Zelda stopped living. She did, though, have her mental problems, whatever they may have been, so every obstacle in life would have been larger and more daunting to overcome.
Zelda's life is interesting and sad. I think she had a lot of talent in many areas but Fitzgerald kept her down. It's kind of surprising that she didn't rise more. She was such an independent, strong-willed teenager.
Diane S ❄ wrote: "B the BookAddict wrote: "Diane S ❄ wrote: "bette, Frances Farmer was my grandmother's favorite actress. I learned about her quit young. Think Zelda was bipolar though and they didn't have the treat..."Was it the one where Jessica Lange played Frances?
Z: A Novel of Zelda FitzgeraldTo read or not to read??????? As usual, I don't know! Thanks for all the different views.
@Diane Yes, it was. I was 17 when I saw it and it made a big impression which has never dimmed.
Chrissie wrote: "Z: A Novel of Zelda FitzgeraldTo read or not to read??????? As usual, I don't know! Thanks for all the different views."
Let me know when you find out....I have it sitting on my shelf!
Sandy, I've been thinking of you . Hope you are doing okay .
Pink, have not made up my mind. I am reading other books that I know I want to read first
I do not recommend D.H. Lawrence 's Sons and LoversMy review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I've just finished Diaboliad, a collection of early short stories by Mikhail Bulgakov.My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Susan wrote: "I've just finished Diaboliad, a collection of early short stories by Mikhail Bulgakov.My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
I adored The Master and Margarita. You have read that right? That reminds me, I should read Heart of a Dog, but i do prefer long over short.
Here is my review of One Life: My Mother's Story by the Australian author Kate Grenville: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Susan wrote: "I've just finished Diaboliad, a collection of early short stories by Mikhail Bulgakov.My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
I've got The White Guard on my kindle to read, Susan.
Just finished Someone by Alice McDermott. My first by Alice McDermott. Really enjoyed it. My review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Just finished Cemetery Lake
, the fourth book I have read in a row by NZ author Paul Cleave. Excellent read! Here is my review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...Think I might be developing a bit of an addiction here....
Z looks interesting to me. I'll be on the lookout for a copy.
Recently finished Girl With a Pearl Earring. Quite enjoyable. My review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Shirley wrote: "Just finished The Paris Wife, loved the writing, I gave it four stars."Wasn't it good? I loved it. McLain really opened up the life of the first Mrs Hemingway for the reader.
I think it's a good companion piece to Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald as Fitzgerald and Hemingway met and socialised with each other in Paris. And both their wives suffered!
Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice* wrote: "Just finished Cemetery Lake , the fourth book I have read in a row by NZ author Paul Cleave. Excellent read! Here is my review http..."I picked up a copy of Trust No One at the library this week, I'm looking forward to it.
B the BookAddict wrote: "Shirley wrote: "Just finished The Paris Wife, loved the writing, I gave it four stars."Wasn't it good? I loved it. McLain really opened up the life of the first Mrs Hemingway for t..."
Yes, it was! I have Z on my tbr too. And also Mrs. Hemingway too! The funny thing is, I have never read anything by Ernest Hemingway, but I find myself wanting to now!!
Enjoyed the Paris Wife and I really liked Mrs. Hemingway.
Shirley wrote: "B the BookAddict wrote: "Shirley wrote: "Just finished The Paris Wife, loved the writing, I gave it four stars."Wasn't it good? I loved it. McLain really opened up the life of the ...
Yes, it was! I have Z on my tbr too. And also Mrs. Hemingway too! The funny thing is, I have never read anything by Ernest Hemingway, but I find myself wanting to now!! "
I found the more I learned about Hemingway, the less I liked him. I'd already read a few of his books and wouldn't read anymore after learning so much about who he really was. I don't like men like that, he had so little respect for women.
I also found it interesting how the first Mrs Hemingway went on to have a long and happy second marriage, while Hem flipped thru wife after wife after wife.
B the BookAddict wrote: "Shirley wrote: "B the BookAddict wrote: "Shirley wrote: "Just finished The Paris Wife, loved the writing, I gave it four stars."Wasn't it good? I loved it. McLain really opened up ..."
Yes, when I read that I was really pleased for Hadley, that things worked out for her in the end. I think I'm just intrigued enough to want to read something he wrote, though.
@Shirley I saw yesterday on our ABC Arts Program that currently A Movable Feast is selling over 500 copies per day in Paris as a result of Paris attacks. Many of the books are finding their way into the candle shrines left for the victims but just as many are found, being read by people, in the cafes of Paris. Apparently people feel this book really embodies the cafe culture/identity of Paris. Just one more response to the Paris attacks.
I really liked Anna In-Between. I think in fact that it is registered under two names here at GR, the other beingBoundaries. I hope to read more by this author: Elizabeth Nunez. I like her writing style. It is almost like prose poetry. She will have a string of sentences that all begin with the same word. Nice to listen to on audio. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I just posted my first two book reviews ever on Goodreads. I would share the link but it doesn't seem to want to work... :(
B the BookAddict wrote: "I found the more I learned about Hemingway, the less I liked him. I'd already read a few of his books and wouldn't read anymore after learning so much about who he really was. I don't like men like that, he had so little respect for women."After reading in So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures about how cruel Hemingway was to his so-called friend F. Scott Fitzgerald — including writing a "humorous" poem about cutting off Fitzgerald's genitalia and tossing them into the sea off Eden Roc — I decided I would never read Hemingway.
Not to mention Hemingway's propensity for shooting animals and being disrespectful to women...
Alice wrote: "I just posted my first two book reviews ever on Goodreads. I would share the link but it doesn't seem to want to work... :("Alice, try going into your review and just cut and paste it here.
Just finished Mystery, Inc.
. A delightful short story...here is my review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
B the BookAddict wrote: "@Shirley I saw yesterday on our ABC Arts Program that currently A Movable Feast is selling over 500 copies per day in Paris as a result of Paris attacks. Many of the books are findi..."That's really interesting, Bette. A Moveable Feast will probably be the one I'll read, as it's about their life together.
Susan wrote: "B the BookAddict wrote: "I found the more I learned about Hemingway, the less I liked him. I'd already read a few of his books and wouldn't read anymore after learning so much about who he really w..."And that's another book I wouldn't mind reading, thanks for reminding me, Susan!
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